Knife-sharpener



'UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

A. T. ARMSTRONG AND JNO. J. ARMSTRONG, OF BROOKLYN, NEV YORK.

KNIFE-SHARPENER.

Speccation of Letters Patent No. `21,058, dated August 3, 1858i.

T0 all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that we, AUsTIN T. ARM- sTRoNGand J oHN J. ARMSTRONG, of Brooklyn, eastern district, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Knife-Sharpen ers, the construction and operation of which we have described in the following specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings with suflicient clearness to enable competent and skilful workmen in the arts to which it pertains or is most nearly allied to make and use our invention.

Our said invention consists in securing a file or its equivalent by its edges as shown between two beveled sides or supports for the knife, by which the whole breadth of the file is made available while at the same time the proper bevel is given to either side of the knife without reversing the instrument as set forth.

7e are aware that a machine has been invented and patented for sharpening scissors which has a beveled guide or side to regulate the position of the scissors upon the file; but in this instrument the file is connected to the bevel or guide by setting the edge into the block by which a very considerable portion of its face is made unavailable for use, and besides this mode of setting, while it may answer for scissors which are beveled but one way, and which have a very steep bevel which allows the necessary thickness of wood to support the tile; it is not at all adapted to the purpose of sharpening knives, and cannot be successfully and conveniently employed for that purpose; while by our arrangement and construction of parts the necessary strength, bevel, and other requisites are secured.

In the accompanying drawings Figure l is a perspective view of our improved sharpener. Fig. 2 is an end elevation.

A is the block in which the file B is set between the inclines o and (Z by being dovetailed into the block by its edges as shown. An inspection of the drawings will show that the whole face of the ile is exposed to operate upon the knife. The bevels c and d are so made as to give the proper angle of contact between the knife and the file to make an effective edge, and this angularity of the edge may be somewhat varied by slid ing the knife down the bevel farther upon the file or cooping the back of it while up the incline. It is plain that by securing th file by its edges between the two inclines instead of fastening it by inserting its edge in the block, as is the case above referred to, we obtain such a location of parts as enables us to make the whole face of the file available, and advantageously so, and cause a support for each side of the knife without reversing the Sharpener; while at the same time this arrangement of parts gives the necessary strength and permanence to the inclines and solidity of setting to the file, which it would not have were it set by its edge, and the incline brought down to the necessary thickness above.

The particular improvement which constitutes our said invention and which we claim as having been originally and first invented by us is- The combination and arrangement of parts herein described ;-that is to say, securing the file by its edges between the in- V clines c and d, by which the advantages above stated are secured as set forth.

AUSTIN T *ARMSTRONGL JOHN J. ARMSTRONGv Vitnesses:

JAMES H. GRIDLEY, JAS. CHAS. GATES. 

